Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) has voiced his firm opposition to a war in Venezuela following a vote in which Republicans blocked the passage of the Venezuela War Powers Resolution, proposed by Senator Tim Kaine. In a statement posted on his official website, Gallego, a former Marine Corps combat veteran with experience in Iraq, criticized Trump's administration for what he deems an unconstitutional deployment of military force in Venezuela. "I fought in Iraq, and I know what happens when we rush into a war that doesn’t need to happen. We cannot go down this path again," Gallego conveyed in his statement.
He further emphasized the gravity of the military actions, saying, "When the President deploys the power of the United States military, that is war." His strong remarks follow the Senate GOP's decision to overlook a constitutional responsibility that designates Congress as the sole body to declare war. Instead, they effectively permitted what Gallego describes as "Trump's chaos."
Addressing the domestic repercussions of such military engagement, Senator Gallego highlighted how the priorities of Arizonans are being sidelined. According to his statement, constituents are more concerned with job creation, housing affordability, and the cost of living rather than foreign military expeditions that funnel tax dollars into "boots on the ground" scenarios, which favor Big Oil at the expense of the American taxpayer.
Gallego's steadfast stance against military action in Venezuela is not just a recent development; he has been consistent in drawing parallels between the current administrations' actions and the prelude to the Iraq war. Additionally, he has been proactive in attempting to curb further military actions in the region, having introduced a War Powers Resolution back in December. "There is no justification for dragging this country into a war in Venezuela," Gallego declared, underscoring a missed opportunity by the Senate to affirm this stance on foreign intervention.
